2006 Gilmore Artist and winner of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Fliter will present Chopin’s 3rd Piano Sonata, Op. 58 and Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13. Ms. Fliter’s delicate touch and profound interpretations of classical compositions will spotlight the centuries-long staying power of these works. As one of the pre-eminent exponents of Chopin’s music, her recording of the complete Chopin Waltzes received five star reviews and was chosen as Editor’s Choice in both Gramophone and Classic FM Magazine.

Kirill Gerstein brings his signature style to a varied program that includes the U.S. premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s The tracks have vanished, commissioned for him by The Gilmore. The Grammy?-nominated pianist blends the traditions of Russian, American, and Central European schooling combined with a strong background in jazz. To his broad repertoire, both new and old, he brings an unwavering clarity of expression, discerning intelligence, virtuosity, and energy.

Pink Martini and China Forbes return with their vibrant, varied repertoire of jazz, classical, latin, music, and pop marked by extraordinary vocal talent and top-flight musicians. Pink Martini has performed with more than 50 orchestras, and in sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall, the opening party of the remodeled Museum of Modern Art, the Governor’s Ball at the 80th Annual Academy Awards, and more. Pink Martini albums have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide.

Winner of the 2018 American Jazz Piano Competition, Composer-pianist Paul Cornish's style is a blend of contemporary and jazz with experimental elements. Pianist for the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance, he has performed and worked with artists including Herbie Hancock and John Legend, and on stages throughout the world. An accomplished composer and educator, he is on faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, and strives to inspire freedom and collaboration in his music and community.

Venezuelan jazz pianist, composer, and Steinway Artist Benito Gonzalez combines a lineage of American jazz tradition with rhythms from around the world. Nominated for two Grammy? Awards and winner of the 2005 Great American Jazz Piano Competition, his sound is recognizable for the powerful rhythm and Afro-Latin patterns he prioritizes across his projects. The New York-based artist grew up playing traditional folk music with his family before being inspired by pianists Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, and Keith Jarrett, whose quartet he later joined. He played with saxophonist Azar Lawrence’s band and joined saxophone legend Pharoah Sanders as his pianist/musical director in 2019.

Jazz pianist and composer Helen Sung was among the first graduates of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory of Music. Her artistry and inventive compositions have earned her a Guggenheim Fellowship and won Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition. Her artistry and inventive compositions span the full spectrum of dynamic and soulful jazz.

In a special Festival event, British pianist Paul Lewis will present a survey of Franz Schubert’s monumental contribution to the classical repertoire: his piano sonatas. Mr. Lewis has received critical and public acclaim worldwide, consolidating his reputation as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the central European classical repertoire. He regularly works as a soloist with the world’s great orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw, and Cleveland Orchestras, among many others.

Jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer Isaiah J. Thompson won the 2023 American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellowship of the American Pianists Association. As a performer, he aims to express joy and convey his personal experiences through music and his everlasting love of jazz. His recording debut was featured on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Handful of Keys album with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis. He worked on the Golden Globe-nominated soundtrack for Motherless Brooklyn, was named a Steinway Artist, and won the 2018 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award.

Venezuelan composer and pianist Gabriela Montero presents the world premiere of her new work for piano and strings, commissioned by The Gilmore, with the Calidore String Quartet. Also on the program: Dvorak's Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81. Montero’s visionary interpretations and unique compositions have garnered critical acclaim and a devoted following on the world stage. Born in Venezuela, the Grammy? Award-winner studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras. Founded at LA’s Colburn School in 2010, The Calidore String Quartet is recognized as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of a vast repertory, from the cycles of quartets by Beethoven and Mendelssohn to works of celebrated contemporary voices.

Gabriela Montero, piano
Calidore String Quartet
Jeffrey Myers, violin
Ryan Meehan, violin
Jeremy Berry, viola
Estelle Choi, cello

In a special Festival event, British pianist Paul Lewis will present a survey of Franz Schubert’s monumental contribution to the classical repertoire: his piano sonatas. Mr. Lewis has received critical and public acclaim worldwide, consolidating his reputation as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the central European classical repertoire. He regularly works as a soloist with the world’s great orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw, and Cleveland Orchestras, among many others.

Gold medalist at the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (the first woman to win in 30 years), Russian-born pianist Olga Kern, in her Gilmore debut, will present a program of works by Rachmaninoff, Schumann, and Gershwin, among others. Kern’s fiery passion is balanced with elegance in the grandeur of Russia's musical tradition. She won first prize at the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition at age 17, and since has become known for her technical brilliance and emotional depth. She is Artistic Director of the Olga Kern International Piano Competition, and has served on the piano faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.

Kasey Shao started playing piano at age six, and made her concerto debut at age 12 with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézét Séguin. A Young Steinway Artist and 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar, she studies with Dr. Ran Dank, and with Dr. Magaret Kampmeier at Princeton University, concentrating in music composition and pre-med. She is the founder and president of the Princeton chapter of Doctors Without Borders, and she hopes to become a hand surgeon, helping other musicians continue to do what they love.

Born in 2005, Harmony Zhu began piano study at The Juilliard School at age eight, with teachers including Emanuel Ax and Veda Kaplinsky. She was recognized as a Young Steinway Artist at age 10, and made her debut at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium at age 14. She won the 2021 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, becoming the youngest artist on the YCA roster. She is a student at the Brearley School in New York, class of 2024.

In COUNTERPOINT, 2012 Gilmore Young Artist Conrad Tao and acclaimed dancer Caleb Teicher explore how the percussion of piano and tap relate to one another. Featuring music by Bach, Tatum, Schoenberg, and Gershwin, and the world premiere of a Gilmore commission by Conrad Tao. Tao and Teicher first collaborated in 2013 in Miami as teenagers and former prodigies who had already spent many years in training. Ten-plus years together has only sharpened their dialogue.